1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel cable management system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a cable management system which includes one or more cable supports, each cable support including at least one cable spool that is adjustable along the length of, and detachable from a spool guide.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Wiring systems within buildings are often terminated in a central wiring locality, such as a communication closet, where they may be interconnected with one another, and/or to other cabling systems or telecommunications equipment. Cables are often terminated on wire panels, such as a patch panel or the like, which are frequently mounted to either racks, or stand-off brackets affixed to a wall. This type of localization is typically referred to as a cross-connect system where the cross-connection is typically from the cables emanating outside the office environment to the individual work stations within the office environment. While accumulation of cables is desirable from an interconnection and changeability standpoint, where a large group of cables are accumulated in any one area, the cables become difficult to manage.
Cable management racks and brackets, described collectively herein as xe2x80x9ccable management systems,xe2x80x9d are designed to permit the installation, organization, routing and protection of all types of cable, including traditional metal wire and fiber-optic cables. Such systems help manage difficult to accommodate and/or bulky cables used to provide communication paths between electrical components.
Cable management systems proffer many advantages. For one, they permit easier access to electrical components housed within the rack itself. They also make it easier and less time consuming to find a particular cable or circuit during equipment maintenance and during downtimes. By removing loose cables from a position in which they may be snagged, disturbed by casual contact, or they may interfere with the operation of another electrical device or cable, such management systems reduce safety hazards and improve efficiency. Cable management systems also help to prevent cables from becoming entangled and provide strain relief. In addition, they also help prevent sharp bending of the cables which can damage fibers therein, and the undesirable attenuation of signals, in particular optical signals, during transmission. Furthermore, such systems help reduce the unaesthetic appearance of a multitude of cables that are seemingly just hanging about.
The diverse and widespread nature of telecommunications devices requires that a modern building have an effective and efficient telecommunications infrastructure to support the same. Cables extending to an interconnection site in an office need to be efficiently connected to cables extending to various locations within the premise. Often times, wiring systems within buildings are terminated in a central wiring system where they may be interconnected to one another and/or other cabling systems. Cables are frequently terminated in a patch panel housed in the central wiring system, and subsequently interconnected to other cables or telecommunications equipment. Patch panels provide a convenient way to access and change the connections.
Cable management systems provide a framework in which cables may terminate or interconnect with other cables so as to facilitate centralized administration of data transmissions and data processing. Cable management systems often provide means for mounting patch panels thereto so as to provide easy mating of connectors. Of course, other electronic modules, such as switching and routing modules, and a wide variety of other telecommunication and data equipment, may also be stacked in such systems. Patch panels and other electronic modules are typically connected to the cable management systems by bolts or screws. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,087, the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety herein, patch panels may also be hingedly connected to the cable management system.
Cable management systems may include a frame defining a bay formed between two spaced-apart vertical walls, the bay being sized for receiving electronic modules. The system may includes one or more cable supports attached to the frame, and include one or more vertical channels sized for receiving a plurality of cross-connect cables. The open framework provides for holding electronic modules of various types and sizes at positions in a columnar fashion, as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,482. Cable management systems such as the Mighty Mo(copyright) cable management rack by Ortronics, Inc., (New London, Conn.) typically include a framework having multiple fixed positions thereon wherein electronic modules may be attached and cable supports may be affixed. Cable supports may include rings or brackets through which a cable may be threaded or routed. As is known to those of ordinary skill in the art, cable supports may include guides of other shapes, such as G- or C-shaped guides as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,893,539 and 5,839,702.
In routing cable, it is important that the cables are not strained, and that the bend radius not be too great. For example, it is recognized that optical fibers should not be bent less than a minimum radius of curvature or damage to the fibers may result. Optimal routing of a cable in one application may not be optimal in another application. There is a need for some degree of flexibility in the cable management system such that wiring may be easily re-routed to meet changing needs of users. A deficiency in conventional cable management systems is that they do not provide the degree of ease and adaptability desired when modifying the routing of cable, as for example when new equipment is added to the rack. The degree of adaptability provided by conventional racks with limited cable support positions may not be enough.
Routing paths should not only be adaptable, but they should also be optimal. For example, when a hair-thin optical fiber is housed within a cable, excess bending of the cable may result in improper functioning. The cable supports of a standard cable management system may not be able to be positioned easily by the installer to maintain cable bend radii that are sufficiently large to minimize or eliminate damage to fibers in cables. Furthermore, present cable management systems require a considerable amount of time in order to reposition the cable positions in the manner desired.
There accordingly is a need for a cable management system that permits routing of cable in an orderly manner, that permits easy modification of cable routes to permit optimally efficient routing of cable to accommodate the ever-changing telecommunication needs of system users, that permits easy installation of cable supports and routing of the cable, which maintains the cables in an accessible manner for later servicing and repair, and provides for efficient separation, isolation and removal of cables.
The present invention provides a cable management system having improved flexibility in management of communication cables. Such flexibility permits the routing of cables in an orderly manner, permits easy modification of cable routes to allow optimally efficient routing of the cable as telecommunication needs change, permits easy installation and routing of cables, maintains cables in an accessible manner for later servicing and repair, and provides for efficient separation, isolation and removal of cables. Flexibility is permitted by adapting and configuring one or more cable spools to move along a track of a spool guide and to be removable therefrom.
Conventional cable management systems have relied upon cable guides which are fixed on the vertical rails of a rack and have a finite number of positions along the vertical rails. The cable guides may comprise a number of spools that are fastened onto vertical rails of the rack using xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d bolts. Conventional systems such as these have proven difficult and inflexible in use, particularly when mixing one manufacturer""s rack with another manufacturer""s patch panel equipment and/or devices for cable management. When a spool is mounted in a fixed position as described above, it often does not align properly with patch panels that are installed in the rack.
The present invention permits positioning of cable spools, which provides excellent installation flexibility for field technicians. The invention reduces labor costs associated with traditional rack installations by eliminating the need to bolt each cable spool in place. In addition, the invention permits an installer to assemble and mount cable spools by hand, frontally and without the use of tools.
In one embodiment of the present invention there is provided a cable spool which is activated to slide along a track. The cable spool may be easily positioned with respect to the track. Rotation of the cable spool by ninety degrees (90xc2x0) permits removal of the cable spool from the track. The process for replacing the cable spool is simply the reversal of the process for removing it.
In another embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed a cable management system for enabling support and routing of cable and providing means for coupling a plurality of cross-connect modules, said cable management system comprising:
(a) a framework including at least a pair of vertical frame members spaced apart and configured for affixing cross-connect modules at sites in vertical stack arrangement between each pair of vertical frame members and comprising one or more tracks having one or more transverse channels therein; (b) at least one cable spool comprising structure capable of supporting cable, and a coupler connected to such cable spool, said cable spool being operatively configured to permit positional engagement and disengagement of the coupler along the traverse of said track.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed a cable spool for supporting and routing cable on a telecommunications rack or bracket, said cable spool comprising: (a) a spool top, base and body defining a recess that transverses from said spool top to said spool base; (b) lateral supports extending laterally from the spool body; (c) a plunger extending through said spool recess from said spool top to said spool base; (d) a brace extending from the spool base end of said plunger, the dimensions of the brace being such that when coupled to the plunger the brace cannot be drawn within said spool recess; and (e) a resilient member operatively connected to said plunger such that when said plunger is moved from a first position to a second position along said spool recess, said resilient member is compressed and applies a force to return said plunger towards said first position. The lateral supports may comprise any structure that supports cable, or circumscribes the area in which the cable placed about the spool body may travel if such unravels. A useful embodiment comprises a bi-lateral support structure forming a U-shape. Such bi-lateral support may comprise continuous wire passing through the spool. The resilient member may comprise any device or body that substantially recovers its shape or position when released after being distorted. For example, by xe2x80x9cresilient memberxe2x80x9d it is meant to include a coil spring, an elastic substrate, a compressible fluid chamber, and other such items and devices known to those of ordinary skill in the art, and similar items which may be invented or found during the pendency of this application and thereafter. By xe2x80x9cspool bodyxe2x80x9d it is meant a part having any dimension and shape about which a cable may be wrapped. By xe2x80x9cplungerxe2x80x9d it is meant an elongated structure that can be moved in the spool recess.
The invention also comprises a rack for mounting cross-connect modules and managing cable, the rack comprising: (a) a frame defining one or more bays formed between two spaced-apart vertical end walls, said bay(s) being sized for receiving one or more cross-connect modules; (b) one or more tracks having a top end and a base end, said track(s) attached to said frame and defining one or more channels traversing from said top end to said base end of said track(s); and (c) one or more cable spools comprising structure capable of supporting cable, coupled to said track(s), and operatively configured so as permit positional engagement and disengagement of the cable spool(s) along the traverse of said track(s).
In yet another embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed a mounting brace and cable management apparatus comprising: (a) a rigid bar having a track therein; (b) a cable spool comprising structure capable of supporting cable, coupled to said track, and operatively configured so as permit positional engagement and disengagement of the cable spool along the traverse of said track.
The present invention further comprises a cable management apparatus comprising: (a) a framework including a rail, said rail vertically oriented and including a track traversing said rail; (b) a cable spool comprising a brace dimensioned so as to be capable of coupling with said track, said cable spool operatively configured so as to permit positional engagement and disengagement of the cable spool along the traverse of said track.
And in yet another embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed a cable management apparatus comprising: (a) a framework including a rail, said rail including a track traversing said rail; (b) a cable spool for supporting and routing cable, said cable spool operatively configured to permit positional coupling and de-coupling along the traverse of said track and comprising (i) a top, base and body that define a recess that transverses from said spool top to said spool base; (ii) lateral supports extending laterally from said spool body; (iii) a plunger extending through said spool recess from said spool top to said spool base; (iv) a brace extending from the spool base end of said plunger, the dimensions of said brace being such that when coupled to the plunger, said brace cannot be drawn within said spool recess; (v) a resilient member operatively connected to said plunger such that when said plunger is moved from a first position to a second position along said spool recess from said spool top to said spool base, said resilient member is compressed and applies force to return said plunger towards said first position.
The above-discussed features and other features and advantages of the present invention will be further appreciated and understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the following detailed description and drawings.